Woodcock Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 34-1606085 · since 1990woodcockfdn.org·California, Canada, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, New York·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$5.9M

Annual giving, 2023 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$3,000 to $220k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$31,500

Typical grant (median)

66 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a small charity should aim to build a connection with it before sending anything rather than relying on a cold application.
Its themes are social enterprise and economic development, food systems, conservation and biodiversity, democracy and media, gender equality and civil society, so work that sits clearly within these fits best, and it looks for leaders from the communities where solutions are advanced or whose lived experience informs their approach.
Half of its grants to organisations were $35,000 or less and about 8 in 10 fall between $3,000 and $220,000, so a modest request sits within typical practice, though that band is not a ceiling, as its largest grant was $750,000.
The filing shows 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded the year before, and it prefers long-term relationships, so an approach should aim at a lasting partnership rather than a one-off ask.
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Maine, New York, California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts and Canada, but that is not a rule about who may apply.

Overview

Woodcock Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Woodcock Foundation works towards a more equitable and sustainable world by strengthening democracy, advancing educational and economic opportunity, and protecting the environment. It focuses primarily on social enterprise and economic development, food systems, conservation and biodiversity, democracy and media, gender equality, and civil society more broadly. The foundation supports constructive systemic change locally, nationally and internationally, and backs unusually able, innovative individuals, particularly leaders from the communities where they advance solutions or whose lived experience informs their approach. It provides funds to individual leaders advancing solutions through organisations or enterprises and to institutions demonstrating leadership in their fields with model programmes. Its approach combines grants and investments with staff and trustees’ knowledge, skills and relationships, and typically provides long-term core funding through trust-based partnerships.

Themes

Social enterprise
Economic development
Food systems
Conservation and biodiversity
Democracy & media
Gender equality
Civil society

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Maine, New York, California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts and Canada.

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 113 grants to organisations were $35,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It actively seeks organisations with which to partner on issues of mutual interest and priority.
It supports unusually able, innovative individuals who can contribute to constructive systemic change.
It looks for leaders from the communities where they advance solutions or whose lived experience informs their approach.
It funds institutions that demonstrate leadership in their fields through model programmes.
It prefers long-term relationships with grantees and typically provides long-term core funding.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.

Grant dollars by state

Maine27%

New York19%

California14%

District of Columbia11%

Massachusetts6%

Georgia5%

6 other states: 11%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 7%

The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2023, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations Woodcock Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
6% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
16% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

66 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $31,500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 66 grants in tax year 2023 by size

Under $1k9%

$1k–$2.5k0%

$2.5k–$5k3%

$5k–$10k9%

$10k–$25k15%

$25k–$50k26%

$50k–$100k3%

$100k–$250k27%

$250k–$500k5%

$500k–$1M3%

Median $31,500 (tax year 2023)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association · General support
$750,0002023 tax year
Maine Coast Heritage Trust · General support
$750,0002023 tax year
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · General support
$365,3002023 tax year
BVM Capacity Building Institute · General support
$300,0002023 tax year
Free Press · General support
$275,0002023 tax year
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative · General support
$225,5002023 tax year
Spark Microgrants · General support
$220,0002023 tax year
REDF · General support
$220,0002023 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Sabrina Guth — Trustee
Margot Brandenburg — Trustee
Winthrop Rutherfurd — Trustee
Stuart Davidson — Trustee
Olga M Davidson — Trustee
Lindsay D Shea — Trustee
Jeremy Guth — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$7,362,170	$5,181,709	$83,808,357	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$8,373,107	$5,874,683	$92,281,430	Filing for 2023 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.